NCCT issue continues to brew; does budget throw light?

Among other things, the Union Budget has earmarked a separate fund for NCCT salaries, which insiders say, indicates the government’s resolve to nurture it as a separate entity. They point out several other highlights of the budget to prove their point.

NCCT salaries are also no longer dependent on NCUI as the budget has earmarked Rs 39 crore for the same in the budget. It bears recall that in the wake of a turf war between the two-NCUI and NCCT, the employees of NCCT suffered in the past as NCUI refused to pay salaries. Many times the then Additional Secretary Vasudha Mishra had to intervene to resolve the issue.

Also, the fact that separate funds for the two heads– Cooperative Education and Cooperative Training, as envisaged in the union budget, say insiders, indicate the govt mindset of keeping NCCT as a separate entity and away from NCUI.

It bears recall that soon after the ascendance of Dileep Sanghani as the NCUI President, the possibility of NCCT amalgamation with the NCUI looked like a certainty but things seem to have moved away from the NCUI control if people in the know of things are to be believed.

There was a time soon after Sanghani’s election when then Union Minister (MoS) Parshottam Rupala reportedly authorized Sanghani to sit with the lawyers of the two sides and resolve the issue in NCUI favor. In an interview with Indian Cooperative, Sanghani even talked about the likely meeting. But the appearance of Covid 19 on the scene delayed the matter and delayed so long that a change of the guard in Amit Shah took place.

Nobody knows what is in the mind of the new Minister. It is obvious that Shah is focussing more on core issues of co-operatives such as the National Co-op Policy or amendment and amendment of the multi-state co-op act than on controversial issues.

Meanwhile, those who are of the view that being the apex body, NCUI should have NCCT under its control, says that the reasons which forced govt to carve out NCCT out from NCUI are already gone. They were hinting at non-BJP control of NCUI in the past and pointed out that with Sanghani at the helm, such issues do not matter.

Another issue that is being debated in the cooperative corridors is a separate budget for Vamnicom and relieving it of any control of NCCT. Though even in the past Vamnicom was under the control of the Ministry, its funds were released by NCCT. This budget made a provision of Rs 11 crore separate fund for the Vamnicom, severing whatever ties it had with the NCCT, analyze experts.

Meanwhile, no co-operator is ready to speak anything on the issue, mostly because they do not know what is in the mind of the new Minister. Known for being a heavyweight, Shah ensured a mega jump in the budget for the cooperative this year, which has been welcomed by one and all.